HB 78 Summary

• Establishes a health care professions loan repayment and incentive program in the Department of Health and Social Services to address shortages of health care professionals in Alaska, particularly in rural areas.

• Provides direct quarterly incentive payments up to $35,000-$47,000 annually for tier I professionals (dentists, pharmacists, physicians, advanced nurse practitioners) and $20,000-$27,000 annually for tier II professionals (nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers) employed in regular or very hard-to-fill positions.

• Repays up to 33.3 percent of unpaid education loan balances for eligible tier I and tier II health care professionals over three-year periods with a 12-year lifetime maximum participation limit.

• Requires participating employers to make nonrefundable quarterly matching payments to the state, adjusted based on their ability to pay, and limits total program participation to 90 participants annually with at least three reserved positions per profession in very hard-to-fill positions.

• Requires the Department of Health and Social Services to submit a report to the legislature by January 1, 2019 describing participation rates, costs, and effects on health care shortage areas; program repeals June 30, 2019.